This invention relates to a navigation method and system for guiding a user to the destination, and more particularly, to a unique key arrangement having a minimum number of keys for operating a navigation system such as map scroll or map zoom in/out where such key arrangement is formed on a steering wheel of a vehicle or on a panel of a portable navigation system such as a one incorporated in a PDA, a lap-top computer, or a cellular phone, etc.
A navigation system performs travel guidance for enabling a user to easily and quickly reach the selected destination. A typical example is a vehicle navigation system where the user drives the car having the navigation system. Such a navigation system detects the current position of the vehicle, reads out map data pertaining to an area at the current vehicle position from a data storage medium, for example, a CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory), a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a hard disc the navigation system displays a map image on a monitor screen while superimposing a mark representing the current location of the user vehicle on the map image. Alternatively, such map data can be provided to the vehicle from a remote server through a communication network such as Internet.
When a destination is not set, such a navigation system functions as a locator map which indicates the current location of the vehicle on a map image. When a destination is set, the navigation system starts a route guidance function for setting a guided route from the starting point to the destination. To determine the guided route to the destination, the navigation system calculates and determines an optimum route to the destination based on various parameters. For example, the guided route is determined based on the shortest way to reach the destination, the route preferring freeways to surface roads, the least expensive way to the destination, or the route without using toll road, or the like.
Typically, the route guidance function performs an intersection guidance process in which a monitor screen displays an enlarged intersection diagram and the direction in which the vehicle is to travel while displaying the guided route on a map. During the route guidance, the navigation system reads the nodes data from the data storage medium such as DVD and successively stores the nodes data of street segments (expressed in longitude and latitude) constituting the guided route in a memory.
During actual traveling, the portion of the guided route is highlighted so as to be discriminable from other routes. When the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of an intersection it is approaching, an enlarged or highlighted intersection diagram is displayed to inform a user of the desired one of roads or directions selectable at the intersection. Such route guidance by the navigation system is also given by voice instruction.
As the present position of the vehicle changes with the travel of the vehicle, the vehicle current position mark in the map image on the screen changes accordingly, or the map is scrolled while the vehicle current position mark is fixed at a predetermined position, for example, at the center of the image. In either method, the navigation system enables the user to recognize the map information of the area at the vehicle position at a glance.
FIG. 1A shows an example of a locator map display containing a current vehicle position mark VP on a map image 21. Typically, a navigation system shows the street on which the vehicle is running in the map image 21 and a name of the street in an information box 23 on the monitor screen. Other information such as a north pointer NP, a map scale and a current time may also be illustrated on the display screen. In this manner, the locator map display shows the current position of the vehicle on the map image, however, it does not perform the route guidance function because the destination is not set.
FIG. 1B shows an example of route guidance display which performs the route guidance function. The route guidance display is activated after specifying the destination. In this example, the current street xe2x80x9cW 190TH STxe2x80x9d and the left side of the next street xe2x80x9cPRAIRIE AVExe2x80x9d will be highlighted in the map image 21 to show the direction of turn at the next intersection. In addition, this example further shows an arrow indicating the direction (left) in which the vehicle is to turn at the intersection in a guidance information box 22 at the top of the screen. The guidance information box 22 also shows the name of the street which intersects with the current street and a distance to the intersection. Thus, in this example, the navigation system indicates that the vehicle should make a left turn at the intersection.
Further to the highlighted display, such route guidance is accompanied by voice instructions. If the direction of travel in the next intersection is left, the navigation system gives spoken guidance such as xe2x80x9cturn left at the next intersectionxe2x80x9d. In this example, an information box 24 at the bottom of the display screen includes information regarding the remaining distance to the final destination and an estimated time to reach the final destination.
As noted above, in order to be guided by the route guidance mode such as shown in FIG. 1B, a destination must be specified in the navigation system so that the system can find one or more routes to get to the destination. FIGS. 2A-2C show examples of display on the monitor screen during the operation of inputting the destination.
By operating a menu key, a main menu screen 25 such as shown in FIG. 2A is displayed on the navigation system and a menu item xe2x80x9cDestinationxe2x80x9d is selected from the main menu. This allows the navigation system to display an xe2x80x9cEnter Destination byxe2x80x9d screen 27 as shown in FIG. 2B for specifying an input method for selecting the destination. The xe2x80x9cEnter Destination byxe2x80x9d screen 27 lists various methods for selecting the destination including xe2x80x9cAddressxe2x80x9d for specifying the city and address of the destination, xe2x80x9cIntersectionxe2x80x9d for specifying the names of two streets which intersect with one another, and xe2x80x9cPoint of Interestxe2x80x9d (POI) for selecting the programmed destination based on the name, category or telephone number. Other methods in the xe2x80x9cEnter Destination byxe2x80x9d screen 27 include xe2x80x9cRecent Routexe2x80x9d for specifying the destination based on the recent destinations saved in the navigation system, xe2x80x9cAddress Bookxe2x80x9d for selecting the address of the destination out of the addresses stored in the system, and xe2x80x9cToday""s Planxe2x80x9d for specifying two or more destinations in the navigation system.
When selecting, for example, the xe2x80x9cAddressxe2x80x9d in FIG. 2B, the navigation system displays an xe2x80x9cEnter Street Namexe2x80x9d screen such as shown in FIG. 2C. The screen of FIG. 2C is basically a key board 38 for inputting the city and address in an address input box 37 on the monitor screen. After inputting the destination, the navigation system determines a route to the destination based on, for example, the shortest way to reach the destination, the route using many freeways as possible, the route without using toll road, or the like. Thus, the navigation system moves to the route guidance display such as shown in FIG. 1B which performs the route guidance.
In such a navigation system, in addition to the operation described with reference to FIGS. 2A-2C, a map scroll function and a map zoom function are frequently used. An example of operation involved in the map scroll is shown in FIGS. 3A-3L. This example shows a process in which a user finds and specifies a destination from a map screen by selecting the street name, since there arises a case where the user is familiar with a particular city and knows a particular address in that city where he wants to go. In such a situation, for entering the destination, the user may prefer to use a map screen 50 of FIG. 3A rather than a key board screen of FIG. 2C.
The user sets the map image of the city xe2x80x9cTorrance, Calif.xe2x80x9d with use of, for example, a zoom function of the navigation system. The user scrolls the map display on a scroll screen 52 as shown in FIG. 3B in which a cursor (marker) 51 is displayed at about a center of the screen. An information box 54 in the lower part of the screen shows the cursor position such as in latitude and longitude. When the user finds a particular street which goes to the particular destination, he adjusts the map image so that the cursor 51 specifies the street image.
Then, the user presses the enter key, which changes the navigation system to a screen which shows an address of the selected street. In this example, by pressing the enter key, the navigation system moves to the screen 55 on which a balloon message 65 is displayed as shown in FIG. 3E. The balloon message shows an address of the street specified by the cursor point 61. The screen 55 also shows a zoom scale 62 since the zoom function is used for pointing the cursor 51 on the street image. If the street name in the balloon message 65 is correct, the user presses the enter key, which brings the navigation system to a route confirmation screen 70 of FIG. 3I.
FIG. 3C shows the situation where the navigation system displays pre-established POI icons 63 and 64 on a screen 56. Such POI icons include a restaurant icon, gas station icon, and the like. When the cursor 51 points at least one POI icon on the screen 56 of FIG. 3C, and the user presses the enter key, the navigation system displays a balloon message 65 which reads xe2x80x9cPOI Icon Listxe2x80x9d in FIG. 3F. The user presses the enter key, which brings the FIG. 3H which lists the names of the places designated by the POI icons. By selecting the xe2x80x9cCursor Pointxe2x80x9d in the name list, the screen 68 displays the street address xe2x80x9c1234 Carson Ave., Torrance, Calif.xe2x80x9d at the cursor point 61, which is the same as that shown in FIG. 3E. Thus, by hitting the enter key, the navigation system moves to the route confirmation screen of FIG. 3I.
FIG. 3D shows a situation where the display image of FIG. 3C is scrolled and the cursor 51 is in an area where no POI icon or street exists. Thus, the screen 58 shows only the cursor 51 at the center. If the user presses the enter key in FIG. 3D, the navigation system displays a screen 59 including a balloon message 65 which reads, for example xe2x80x9cNo Digitized Road Exists in This Areaxe2x80x9d as shown in FIG. 3G. Therefore, the user has to return to the prior screens such as shown in FIGS. 3B or 3C to find the particular street of his destination.
Referring back to FIG. 3I, the confirmation route screen 70 shows the address at the cursor point 61 in FIG. 3E or FIG. 3F. This screen is to confirm the destination before proceeding to the route calculation process. In the case where the user selects an xe2x80x9cOK to Proceedxe2x80x9d menu on the confirmation screen 70 and presses the enter key, the navigation system moves to the route calculation process shown in FIG. 3J. After determining the appropriate route to the destination, the navigation system displays the route guidance screen such as shown in FIG. 1B.
In this particular example, the route confirmation screen 70 in FIG. 3I includes a xe2x80x9cChange Numberxe2x80x9d menu 71. When the user wants to change only the street number, the xe2x80x9cChange Numberxe2x80x9d menu 71 is used to change the street number for the street specified through the map image in the foregoing. FIG. 3K shows a situation where the xe2x80x9cChange Numberxe2x80x9d menu is selected by the user. Then, the user hits the enter key, which brings the navigation system to a key board screen 76 of FIG. 3L showing a key board 78 which is designed to input only the street number in a street number box 77. Although not shown, by specifying the street number in FIG. 3L, the navigation system goes to the confirmation route screen of FIG. 3I and the route calculation process of FIG. 3J, thereby performing the route guidance.
As described above, the operation of the navigation system involves frequent use of assigned keys such as selection (enter) keys, cursor keys, map scroll keys and map zoom keys. It is desired that the number of such keys be small so that the user needs not to know each function of the keys. Especially, when the navigation system is used in a vehicle, it is desired that the number of keys is small as well as a position of such keys is close enough to a user (driver). It is ideal that the keys for operation of the navigation system are mounted on a steering wheel so that the driver can operate the navigation system without releasing the hands from the steering wheel.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a navigation method and apparatus in which a unique key arrangement having a minimum number of keys is provided for operating a navigation system, thereby simplifying an overall operation procedure of the navigation system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a unique key arrangement having a minimum number of keys for scrolling or zooming a road map or otherwise operating a navigation system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a unique key arrangement having three buttons mounted on a vehicle steering wheel or on a portable navigation system for scrolling or zooming a map image or controlling other operations of the navigation system.
The present invention is directed to a navigation method and system having a unique arrangement of keys or buttons for operating a navigation system such as selecting menus, map scrolling, map zooming, etc. Such a navigation system is typically implemented in a vehicle although other implementation such as a portable navigation system, a one incorporated in a PDA or a cellular phone, etc. is also possible. When the key arrangement of the present invention is implemented in a vehicle, it is preferable that such a key arrangement is configured by three buttons mounted close to one another on a steering wheel, thereby promoting easy operation and safe driving.
FIGS. 2A-2C are schematic diagrams showing display examples of a navigation system. FIG. 2A is a main menu, FIG. 2B is a destination set menu, and FIG. 2C shows a keyboard display for entering a specific address.
In one aspect of the present invention, the navigation system for guiding a user to a destination includes a key arrangement which performs at least an enter key function and an up/down key function. The key arrangement changes a current status of the navigation system to a map scroll mode or a map zoom mode and scrolls a map image in a selected direction or sets a zoom scale of the map image. The key arrangement is mounted on a steering wheel of a vehicle or a panel of a portable navigation system.
Another aspect of the present invention is a navigation method. The method includes the steps of changing a current status of the navigation system to a map scroll mode or a map zoom mode by pressing either an up key or a down key, changing and selecting a map scroll direction or a map zoom-in or zoom-out mode sequentially on a screen of the navigation system by pressing an enter key, adjusting an amount of map scroll in the selected map scroll direction or a map zoom scale in the selected map zoom-in or zoom-out mode by pressing either the up key or the down key, and returning to an operation mode of the navigation system other than the map scroll mode or the map zoom mode.
According to the present invention, the unique key arrangement has the minimum number of keys for operating the navigation system, thereby simplifying the overall operation procedure of the navigation system. Thus, the user needs to use only such a small number of keys for the map scrolling and map zooming. Especially, when the navigation system is used in a vehicle, the key arrangement of the present invention is advantageous since the key arrangement can be mounted on the steering wheel so that the position of the keys is close enough to the user. Thus, the user can operate the navigation system while holding steering wheel, thereby promoting the safe driving.